Lori Greene

About Lori Greene

Lori is the Manager, Codes and Resources for Allegion, and the creator of iDigHardware. With more than 35 years of experience in the door and hardware industry, in her current role she focuses exclusively on the code requirements that apply to door openings.

Open Back Strikes

A couple of weeks ago one of my coworkers, Rich Conroy, took a phone call from someone with questions about open back strikes.  Rich asked me to write a post that he could refer people to, and the hold-up was that I had to find a photo.  Not the photo you see in a catalog (right), which usually shows the strike alone, but a photo of an open back strike in action.  Try looking for one on Google Images and you'll find a few graphics of the strike by itself, some open backed shoes, and plenty of open backed dresses, but no open back strikes in action.

By |2016-02-24T01:52:30-05:00August 11th, 2011|Locks & Keys, Panic Hardware|7 Comments
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New York, New York!

I just got final confirmation that Zeke Wolfskehl and I will be teaching a code class for architects at the 36th annual DHI Conference in New York City!  Prior to the adoption of the 2008 NYC Construction Code, the NYC Building Code was almost as old as me(!), so we're thinking it's a good time to make sure everyone is up to date on the current requirements related to doors and hardware.  We'll talk about the 2003 edition of the International Building Code and what has changed in the more recent editions, as well as variations in the Life Safety Code and the New York City and New York State codes.

By |2014-10-08T09:05:12-04:00August 11th, 2011|General Info|2 Comments
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Happy 500!

I've been thinking about this post for 2 weeks, and I'm stumped. It's my 500th post on this blog. It seems like 500 posts should warrant some sort of fanfare...maybe a cake?! (in our office we use any excuse to have cake). I've been trying to think of a tie-in to 500 somethings, a related photo I could include, but the pressure has clouded my brain.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:29-05:00August 8th, 2011|General Info|9 Comments
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Today’s the big day!

A couple of weeks ago I told you about the significance of August 1st - it's my birthday (big deal), and also the day that the features of the LCN 4040XP are incorporated into the standard 4040 closer (BIG DEAL!).  Every 4040 closer ordered from today forward will be shipped as a 4040XP - with the larger and stronger pinion, bigger bearings, and stronger teeth geometry.  If you have questions about the changes, check out this FAQ document.

By |2015-11-11T10:33:12-05:00August 1st, 2011|Door Closers, Videos|18 Comments
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Classroom Security Locks

As of July 1st, 2011, a revised California law (AB 211, Article 8.5) requires classrooms and rooms with an occupant load of more than 5 people to be equipped with classroom security locks.*  This pertains to all new construction projects submitted to the Division of the State Architect, which oversees K-12 schools and community colleges in the state of California.

By |2018-09-16T15:01:08-04:00July 28th, 2011|Locks & Keys|6 Comments
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INNadequate Closer (& More!)

I spent last weekend in Stowe, Vermont with one of my BFFs and we stayed at an "inn," which seems to mean bigger than a bed and breakfast but not as modern as a hotel.  As my friend said, "I got the keys...they're real keys - how quaint!"  I won't get into how the lock on our room had to be unlocked with the thumbturn before you could turn the knob for egress, but I will share the completely inadequate mini-closer on the exterior door adjacent to our room.  The door never closed and latched, and the kitchen staff hung out on the landing smoking butts (not the hinge kind).  Good thing we had the high-security privacy chain on our room door.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:29-05:00July 26th, 2011|Beautiful Doors, Door Closers, Doors & Frames|5 Comments
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Knockoffs

Picture this. You wait by the mailbox for your brand spanking new iPad 2 to arrive. You carefully open the box and breathe in the intoxicating scent of Apple, then plug in the cable, sync your iPad with your iTunes account, and settle back to watch a movie. A few minutes into Despicable Me, the screen goes black. AAHH!!! You pack up your iPad, take it to the Apple store, and find out that it's not an Apple iPad after all - it's a KNOCKOFF!!!

By |2016-09-11T22:42:01-04:00July 22nd, 2011|Door Closers|7 Comments
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Social Media Roundup

Over the last year, I've really started to understand the valuable communication tool that social media has become.  Every time I write a blog post, a notification of the post is immediately seen by at least 1500 people.  If any of those connections comments, tweets, or "likes" the post, it is then shared with their network of connections.  One of my recent tweets was retweeted to over 4,000 people - not a big deal in comparison to celebrity twitterers, but we're talking about doors here!

By |2016-10-23T20:17:19-04:00July 21st, 2011|General Info|4 Comments
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Closing Speed & Delayed Action

Back in the early 90's when the ADA was the newest focus of the door and hardware industry, delayed action closers were often specified and installed due to the assumption that they were required by the accessibility standards.  Delayed action is a feature available on many door closers, which delays the closing cycle for up to a minute (or more depending on the manufacturer) from the maximum degree of opening to approximately 70 degrees.  The delay is controlled by an additional valve which slows the flow of fluid for that initial period in the closing cycle.  This feature can be helpful in some applications, but it is not required by code.  The other segments of the closing cycle, the main speed and the latch speed, are also controlled by valves (see diagram below).

By |2014-11-03T15:07:01-05:00July 19th, 2011|Accessibility, Door Closers|0 Comments
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Seaside Hotel, Tel Aviv

This is a very unusual door - stone clad and an exterior opening only about 100 feet from the ocean.  The door and panic hardware were installed by Entry Systems Ltd., the stone, mag-lock, and wood surround were added by someone else.  The photos were sent to me by Eyal Bedrik of Entry Systems Ltd., in Israel (Thanks Eyal!).  If you have any questions about this opening, just leave them in the comments section and I'm sure Eyal will be happy to fill us in.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:29-05:00July 15th, 2011|Electrified Hardware, Panic Hardware|3 Comments
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Calling All Locksmiths!

I have a special place in my heart for locksmiths.  Maybe it's because I've been "saved" a few times...like the time I locked myself out of my apartment in my PJs at 6 a.m.  Or maybe it's because I like the mechanics of what they do.  I always loved helping our in-house locksmith with masterkeying, and I've been told by an experienced locksmith that I'm a natural at shimming cylinders.  How many people can say that?!

By |2014-10-08T09:08:22-04:00July 14th, 2011|Electrified Hardware, Locks & Keys|4 Comments
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The Ultimate Test

I got a Tweet today from @GinnyPowell, who was attending a Von Duprin training.  She was surprised that the fire truck video is still around, and once she mentioned it I just had to go back and watch it again.  It's a classic!  I love the fire test engineer..."I am now checking the device..."  I wonder who came up with this idea.

By |2021-11-23T16:32:45-05:00July 12th, 2011|Panic Hardware, Videos|5 Comments
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Lexington, Virginia

We only spent a brief segment of our road trip in Lexington, but it was long enough to spot a couple of doors of interest.  Our hotel was originally a single family residence and it's on the Register of Historic Places.  We checked in pretty late at night but I immediately noticed the mess they had made of the lock on their front door.  Creative, yes...purty, no.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:30-05:00July 8th, 2011|Hinges & Pivots, Locks & Keys, Road Trips|5 Comments
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WWYD? – Church Pair Meeting Stiles

I saw this church from the highway on our way into Roanoke, Virginia last week - it's St. Andrews Catholic Church, and I just knew it would have some nice doors.  As soon as I approached the building from the parking lot, I spotted the meeting stile gasketing.  Most people would probably see the building as a whole, or maybe the beautiful pulls, but I couldn't get past the gasketing.

By |2013-02-14T14:51:04-05:00July 5th, 2011|Beautiful Doors, Gasketing & Thresholds, WWYD?|10 Comments
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Doors in Pockets (not Pocket Doors)

Every time I specify hardware for a door that swings into a pocket, a little alarm sounds in my head because at least 50% of the time there will be a problem that urgently needs to be fixed at the end of the job.  This application requires coordination between the architect designing the pocket, the contractor building the pocket, and the distributor supplying the doors and hardware, and that's a lot harder than it sounds.  The other problem is that when one pair on a project goes south, in most cases ALL of the pairs are a problem.

By |2013-12-04T23:51:34-05:00June 23rd, 2011|Door Closers, Doors & Frames, Fire Doors|7 Comments
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Hotel Vendome Fire, Boston

Today is the 39th anniversary of the fire at the Hotel Vendome, in which 9 firefighters lost their lives when the building unexpectedly collapsed during mop-up operations.  Stephanie Schorow, author of 4 books about Boston, spoke about the Hotel Vendome fire, the Cocoanut Grove fire, and the Great Boston Fire of 1872 in this video made in conjunction with the NFPA.  There was also an article in the May/June 2011 issue of the NFPA Journal - "The Boston Fire Trail - A walkable guide to the city's fire and disaster history." 

By |2016-05-18T09:18:56-04:00June 17th, 2011|Fire Doors, Means of Egress, Videos|2 Comments
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E.R. Butler & Co.

I've been in the door and hardware business for a long time - almost 25 years.  While I'm still passionate about the products, the industry, and our customers, there are some days when I'm not quite as excited as I once was.  It's kind of like the old, "I love you but I'm not in love with you," line.  I'm sure you can relate...we all have those days.

By |2012-01-27T21:57:31-05:00June 16th, 2011|Beautiful Doors, Hinges & Pivots, Locks & Keys|3 Comments
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Door to Nowhere

This photo of a door in a city hall came from another blog, A Firefighter's Own Worst Enemy.  The blog is written by Jason Hoevelmann, a Deputy Fire Chief / Fire Marshal with the Sullivan Protection District.  Jason and the firefighters who frequent his site have a totally different perspective on doors than we do, but it's really interesting to read.  Firefighters need to be able to get through a door during a fire, and do it safely.  Imagine a firefighter with limited visibility forcing this door open from the other side.  The results could be tragic.

By |2012-01-27T21:58:09-05:00June 14th, 2011|Fire Doors|1 Comment
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Rainy Relay

<---  You know what that's a photo of???  Rain - torrential rain, at our Relay for Life event this weekend.  It rained on and off for most of the relay, but it was REALLY bad at night.  Even the die-hard high school kids in the campsite next to ours ended up sleeping in a friend's living room (all 24 of them!!).  Because we didn't sleep overnight in our soaking wet tent, there were a couple of hours that we didn't have someone walking the track, but I think we had people walking for more hours than any other team.  There were several hours that our team was almost alone on the track.  Yes, we're crazy!  :-)

By |2013-03-01T11:16:59-05:00June 12th, 2011|Means of Egress, Panic Hardware|4 Comments
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Relay for Life

Update:  Relay for Life is tomorrow, so if you would like to make a donation, today's the day!  Luminarias in honor, memory, or support of a loved one are available for $10 by following the link below.  I'm a little over $100 away from my goal.  I appreciate your help!

By |2013-02-13T18:52:04-05:00June 10th, 2011|General Info|3 Comments
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